Falling Leaves and Family Togetherness
by HPfanonezillion
Summary: Gale, Annie, and their children have some family fun while cleaning up those pesky fall leaves.
1. Falling Leaves and Family Togetherness

_Author's note: It has been far too long since I wrote some Gale/Annie goodness. And in the spirit of the changing of the seasons, here is some autumn fun with the Hawthornes! Let me know what you think._

_Happy reading!_

Falling Leaves and Family Togetherness

"You said you'd rake the leaves two days ago, Finn." Gale said, looking out the window.

"I know I did, Dad." Finn sighed. "I got a lot of homework."

"Maybe." He nudged his son's shoulder. "Go on and do it while your mom and I finish dinner."

Finn sighed again and pushed himself off the couch.

"Can I help, Finn?" Maggie asked.

"I don't see why not. Pearl, you wanna come, too?"

She looked up from her blocks and grinned. "Yes!" She ran for the door and tugged on the end of her coat. "Help, my coat! Gotta help Finn!"

Annie chuckled and lifted the coat down. "Your brother is being very nice letting you come out with him. Stay out of his way, okay?"

Pearl and Mags both nodded as Annie helped with zippers and Gale helped tie shoes. They were all very soon out the door into the back yard. Annie stood at the window and watched a few minutes before she went back to the stove.

"I don't want Finn to leave." She said softly.

"He's just sixteen. He'll be here for at least a couple more years." He wrapped his arms around her waist. "And then we're stuck with those silly girls of ours."

"And the new one."

He stepped back. "New one?"

She looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Surprise. I've been waiting for us to be alone all afternoon and the girls were all over you..."

Gale looked into Annie's eyes that were still so full of anxiety all these years later. He cupped her cheeks and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She whispered.

They kissed again, but were interrupted by a high-pitched squeal outside and their son's deep laughter. Pearl and Maggie were in the middle of a pile of leaves giggling while their brother laughed hard. He was holding onto the rake to keep himself upright.

Annie pressed her face into Gale's shoulder. "He sounds so much like Finnick."

"He's like his father in many ways. I notice you just staring at him sometimes."

"It's harder as he gets older. He's always looked like Finnick, but he sounds like him now, too." She stepped back and walked to the stove. She turned off the burners. "This can wait a bit. Let's go play."

For the next several minutes, they all took turns raking the leaves into piles and jumping in.

"More bigger, Finn." Pearl demanded.

"Finn is making it as big as the leaves will go, sweetie." Annie explained.

"More bigger." She demanded with her bottom lip stuck out.

"My dad used to tell me that when you stick your lip out to pout, you'll get caught in a fish hook." Annie teased. "And you look like you would be delicious battered and fried."

"Yes." Gale added. "With some tartar sauce. Yum."

Finn joined in. "Pile some cole slaw on top of her, too. 'More bigger.'"

Pearl began to cry. "Would you really eat me up?"

Annie scooped her up and kissed her cheek. "I'd never let anyone eat you up, Pearlie. But there's no reason to pout. There are only so many leaves in the yard, thankfully. And they are all piled as big as they are getting. We'll go eat some real food, not little girls, because I'm starving and I'm sure the rest of you are too. And then we'll burn these leaves and roast some marshmallows. How does that sound?"

There was a chorus of agreement and they all rushed inside to get out of the chill of the District 2 autumn evening.

After dinner was eaten and cleaned up and marshmallows toasted, the children were sent off to bed. Gale stayed outside minding the embers of leaves and twigs.

Annie asked Finn to listen for his sisters and then joined her husband. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek. "Are you cold?"

"I am. But I'm fine. I've been colder."

"Hearing that makes me sad." She said softly.

"It's all in the past. That was my life when Snow ruled. It's better now." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "I have you and our kids and a job that I don't mind doing. A job I chose."

Annie gently scratched Gale's back. "We have some great kids."

"We do."

"You haven't said much about my news."

"We're having another baby? Are you absolutely sure?"

"This is the fourth time I've been through this. You and I both said we wanted another one. We've been trying." She grinned and brushed a kiss across his lips. "And I really like trying."

"Me too." Gale sighed. He chuckled. "I don't want to tell the kids yet."

"I don't either. The girls won't get it until I start showing anyway. And Finn always gets… despondent."

He nodded. "It'll be our little secret then."

Annie giggled. "A fun secret. A good one."

They shared another kiss.

Gale stepped back. "I think this is all burned down." He stomped out the last of the flames and picked up the water hose. "I'm going to watch it a few more minutes, though. Keep the bed warm, huh?"

She patted his back. "Will do."


	2. Adrift on Stormy Seas

_Author's note: Okay, so after writing that first one, I was prodded by one of my readers (but not necessarily too much prodding needed) to write more. So this one is a little heavy. Some later ones may get just as heavy, but more will be lighter. Any questions, concerns, or suggestions are welcome._

_Happy reading!_

Adrift in Stormy Seas

"Mom, we're home." Finn called up the stairs.

"Mama, I made you a picture!" Maggie called.

"They're home, Mommy!" Pearl said from upstairs. "Mommy, get up now?"

Finn cursed under his breath as he ascended the stairs ahead of his sister. He pushed open his parents' bedroom door and found it a mess. Pearl sat on the floor covered in her mother's makeup. Annie was curled on the bed. Her hair was a mess and her eyes ringed in red like she'd been crying all day.

"Mommy, I made you a picture." Maggie climbed on the bed with her mother and started pulling at her bag's zipper.

"Mommy is sad." Pearl stated simply.

But Finn knew better. He kneeled beside her. "Have you been in bed all day?"

Annie's eyes glistened and filled with recognition. She reached out and touched his cheek. "Finnick. I thought you'd never come. I've been waiting so long for you."

His throat was tight as he gently said, "Mom, I'm not the Finnick you fell in love with. I'm your son."

She blinked several times and then her face contorted. "Life isn't fair!" She wailed and pressed her face into the pillow.

"Girls, let's go get a snack." Finn said as he stood. "I need to call Dad." He ushered them downstairs and into the kitchen. He handed each of them a cookie from the jar and picked up the phone. "You two play nicely."

"Gale Hawthorne." Gale said when he answered his phone.

"Dad, it's Finn."

Something in his voice must have tipped Gale off. "It's your mom, isn't it?"

"She looks like she's been in bed all day. She had Pearl in there with her. Other than makeup everywhere, Pearl looks fine. But the big thing is she thought I was my dad and she said she'd been waiting for him."

Gale let out a long breath. "Listen, kid, I will try to wrap things up here and get home soon. Just keep an eye on your sisters, please. And don't worry, your mom will be fine."

"She hasn't been fine all my life." He pointed out. "It wasn't fair to me and it's not fair to them."

"I know."

"She hasn't had one of these bad episodes for years, though. So what's changed?"

Gale sighed. "She's pregnant, Finn."

"Shit, are you serious?"

"Watch your language." His father warned.

"Sorry. Why haven't you guys said anything?"

"Because of how you got the last two times. And because we didn't think the girls needed to know quite yet."

"And you thought she'd be okay this time?"

"I was hoping for it." He took a deep breath. "Just keep an eye on your sisters and I'll be home as soon as possible."

Finn stared at the phone for several moments before he was able to hang it up. He watched his sisters. Maggie had retrieved a second cookie for each of them.

"Pearlie, did Mama feed you?" He asked.

Pearl nodded and spoke around her mushy cookie. "She make me noodles. And I used the potty in her room. I'm a big girl, Finn."

Finn nodded. He remembered being that small and only getting the basics. Dale took care of most of his upbringing. At least now she had far more lucid, semi-normal days than when he was growing up. His sisters knew they were loved by their mother and that she cared. Finn always thought she cared too much for Finnick in the past for him, their son, to matter in the present.

He turned on the TV and pulled out the blocks. "Maggie, you watch TV and play while I get Pearlie cleaned up. Okay?"

Mags nodded and sat down to play. Finn changed Pearl's clothes and wiped as much of the makeup off her face and arms as he could get. He sent her down the stairs as Gale came through the front door. Both girls launched themselves at their father, chattering over each other about their day. Finn made a much more sedate approach.

Gale sat the girls on the floor and stepped toward Finn. He placed his hands on either side of his face. "It's never been about you, you know that?"

Finn nodded. "But what happens when I'm not here anymore to call you? What happens when she has another one of these episodes and one of the girls falls down the stairs?"

Gale looked into his eyes a moment. "Did she have the door closed?"

Finn nodded.

"Did Pearl say she ate?"

He nodded again. "They can't have the childhood I did, Dad. It's not fair."

Gale opened his mouth to say something, but movement over Finn's shoulder caught his eye. "Annie?"

"You're home early." She said softly.

Gale pulled Finn into his arms and kissed his cheek. "I'll take care of everything."

Finn nodded once more.

Gale stepped around his son and walked toward the stairs. "We're gonna talk."

"I'm so sorry." Annie sobbed. She placed her hands on front of her as though she needed him to back off. "I'm so so sorry."

Gale wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her into the bedroom.

Finn took out his school books and started working on homework.

* * *

><p>"I hate storms." Gale said softly.<p>

"You're still my anchor." Annie responded.

"I thought you were going to keep telling me when it got bad." He said as he sat her down on the bed.

"I was fine most of the morning. But after everyone was gone and I was alone with Pearl, it all just came flooding over me. And it was all I could do to get Pearl and me locked in here. I told her to be careful and play. And to tell me when she was hungry or needed the bathroom and I dragged myself off the bed in a fog to help her when she needed it. I wanted to call you, but I didn't at the same time because I know you're busy and I didn't want to bother you."

"It wouldn't have been a bother. It never has been."

"I know."

"Have you eaten today?"

She was silent a moment and then shook her head.

"Will you eat if I make you something?"

"I'm not hungry, Gale. I'm just so tired." She curled onto the bed and pressed her face into her pillow.

"You can't do this now, Annie. You're pregnant. The baby needs you to eat and take care of yourself."

"I can't take the medication."

"No, but we worked on the other things with Pearl and you were better. We knew the risks. I thought you were prepared this time around."

Annie lifted her head and stared at him a moment. "I don't think you know how hard this all is for me. Even all these years later you still don't have the slightest clue." She rolled away and went silent.

"No, I don't get what you're going through. I don't understand your depression or what triggers it. I don't know how to fix you. And it scares me that no matter how far you've come that you might one day decide life without Finnick is harder than life with me and our kids and you'll end it all. And then what am I supposed to do? What are your kids supposed to do?"

"Fuck off, Gale." She mumbled into her pillow.

"Yeah, I'll fuck off. And I'll make dinner. I love you, Annie. We'll figure a way through this." He leaned down and kissed the back of her head. He stood and walked to the door.

"Is she okay?" Her frightened voice stopped him cold just as he opened the door.

"She's fine. She thought it was an adventure." He closed the door behind him, his throat tight with unshed tears.

Finn stood at the bottom of the stairs. "Will she be okay?"

"We'll work on it." Gale patted his shoulder. "Got a lot of homework?"

The boy shook his head.

"Then help me cook. Tell me about your day." He walked into the kitchen, Finn followed.

"How can I tell if a girl likes me?"

Gale laughed. "Oh, right into that, huh? Well, there are a lot of ways."


End file.
